Medina County officials say an app that uses artificial intelligence is incorrectly reporting information about emergency situations occurring at the Medina County Fairgrounds.
Medina County fair officials posted on social media on Aug. 8 to assure residents and fairgoers that no emergency situations were occurring at the fairgrounds, which is hosting the annual Medina County Fair through Aug. 9 at 720 W. Smith Road. The Medina County Sheriff’s Office also shared the same information.
“We want to reassure the public that there were no serious incidents and no injuries at the Medina County Fairgrounds,” said fair board president Joe Aungst in the social media post on Aug. 8.
Officials believe an AI-based app identified three simultaneous incidents in the Medina area and wrongly connected them to the county fairgrounds.
They encouraged residents to rely on official sources for emergency information and updates.
Officials did not identify the app, but Akron Beacon Journal staff saw the information posted on CrimeRadar. Increasingly, more law enforcement officials and event organizers have had to publicly address inaccurate information posted by CrimeRadar, which tracks first-responder scanner audio and uses AI to summarize and map potential incidents.
CrimeRadar incorrectly reported in July that a possible active shooter was at the University of Akron. In December 2025, Streetsboro and Twinsburg police shared social media warnings against the app after it posted a false report that there had been a shooting at a Streetsboro elementary school.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: AI-based app spreads false reports about Medina County Fairgrounds
Reporting by Kelli Weir, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kelli Weir, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
